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It's an American icon: the Western shootist, living by skill, courage and a willingness to spit in death's eye. Now, the greatest names in Western literature turn this mythical character upside down, inside out and every way but loose. . .

In The Trouble with Dude, award-winning author Johnny Boggs saddles a once-famous lawman with some high-paying New York dudes in search of Western thrills who get more than they bargained for; in. Uncle Jeff and the Gunfighter Western master storyteller Elmer Kelton chronicles a quarrel between a hardscrabble Texas rancher and a killer for hire--with results that stun a town. . . William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone offer Inferno: A Last Gunfighter Story featuring series hero Frank Morgan. From a pistol-packing woman to a freed slave heading into a Nebraska winter and an education in gun fighting, The Law Of The Gun is about journeys, vendettas, stand-offs, and legends that end--or sometimes just begin--with the roar of a gun. . .

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About the Author

In 1995 Martin H. Greenberg was honored by the Mystery Writers of America with the Ellery Queen Award for lifetime achievement in mystery editing. He is also the recipient of two Anthony awards. Mystery Scene magazine called him "the best mystery anthologist since Ellery Queen." He has compiled more than 1,000 anthologies and is the president of TEKNO books. He lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

LAW OF THE GUN, a 2010 Pinnacle Books release, offers up 17 gunfighter-themed stories from the likes of John Jakes, Elmer Kelton, Johnny D. Boggs, Loren Estleman and others. The book's back cover proclaims that LAW OF THE GUN turns the mythical figure of (the gunfighter) upside down, inside out and every way but loose." Well, ok.

I've been reading an awful lot of Les Savage, Max Brand and Will Henry books lately so maybe I've become jaded but...I wasn't all that impressed by most of the stories in LAW OF THE GUN. Most read like stories commissioned for an anthology; spec work. I enjoyed several stories - Ken Hodgson's 'As Good as the Bad,' 'Inferno' by William and J. A. Johnstone, John Duncklee's 'Bounty Hunter' and John Nesbitt's 'Hap' - but most of the others seemed formulaic efforts, entertaining enough but nothing out of the ordinary, nothing very inspiring. Also, I don't know that LAW OF THE GUN upends the gunfighter legend so much as it presents 17 western tales, some of which are marginally connected with the gunfighter theme.

Having said that, I could be way off-base on LAW OF THE GUN. If you're a fan of westerns, pick up a copy. It sells for $6.99. You may find it's a perfectly wonderful collection of shoot-em-up's. I didn't. Your call, folks.

*****Better 'gunfighter' anthologies include James C. Work's GUNFIGHT! and Robert Randisi's BLACK HATS and BOOT HILL.